Italy produces impressive, often-overlooked white wines
As I noted in the first installment of this two-part series on Italian wines, red wines dominate the peninsula. But there are white wines of note throughout the country — many unique to Italy. This column highlights a few of them, with recommendations listed at the end.
In Piedmont, the most important white grapes are arneis, cortese and (surprisingly) chardonnay. I had an interesting cortese wine in my tasting. Actually, the wine is labeled Gavi, the name of the production zone in the southeast corner of Piedmont. Its closeness to the Mediterranean tempers the cool northern climate and allows cortese to produce a delicate, refreshing wine.
In Tuscany, trebbiano is ubiquitous but often uninteresting, while vernaccia and vermentino can be distinctive. Some observers think vermentino, particularly from the Bolgheri zone near the Mediterranean coast, may have the brightest future of any Tuscan white. Although better known in Liguria and Sardinia, it thrives in the moderate temperatures and clay and sandy soils of the area.
The northeast of Italy is unusual in that white wines dominate. I had several Pinot Grigios of note from two northeastern regions in my tasting. While many producers in the northeast opt for a sharper, lighter version of Pinot Grigio, I prefer more richness and character.
The first region, Trentino-Alto Adige, stretches from Lake Garda to the Alps. The region is notable for large production of chardonnay and sparkling wine. Viticulture here is influenced by the Swiss Alps, the Dolomites and the Adige River. The cool, dry weather and stony, alluvial soils yield highly structured white grapes.
The other region, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, occupies Italy’s far northeast corner bordering Austria, Slovenia and the Adriatic coast. Friuli, the western portion of the region, fans south from the Alps. The Friuli plain largely consists of calcium rich sand and gravel deposited by glaciers and rivers.
The Venezia Guila takes in the eastern portion of the region. One of the wines recommended below comes from the Collio zone, which is just across the border from Slovenia. The soil of mostly marl and gravelly sandstone laced with limestone in this hilly zone (Collio means “hills”) produces grapes with strong acidity.
In the southern Italian province of Campania, traditional grapes hold the most interest. Naples is the most famous city here and Mastroberardino is the most famous producer. The winery has been a leader in revitalizing the region’s wine quality and preserving its traditional grapes.
I tasted Mastroberardino wines from four of those traditional varieties:
The coda di volpe grape, grown in the shadows of Vesuvius, produces a wine of citrus, peach and wet stone along with an oily texture.
The falanghina grape comes from Sannio, a hilly area in the heart of Campania. It produces full flavors of citrus and apple complemented with nut and mineral.
The Fiano vine produces grapes with high sugar content. Dry Fiano, especially from the Avellino province in the hills east of Naples, produces a wine of crisp acidity, citrus, green apple and hazelnut.
The greco variety is an ancient Greek import that originally was cultivated on the slopes of Vesuvius and later planted in Avellino, where it was given the denomination Greco di Tufo. Look for apple, mineral and spice aromas and melon, lime and almond flavors.
Hopefully this column has sparked your interest enough to further investigate Italian whites.
RECOMMENDED WINES:
- 2005 Michele Chiarlo Gavi ($17)
- 2005 Campo al Mare Vermentino di Toscana ($17)
- 2005 Bollini Pinot Grigio, Trentino ($15)
- 2005 Pighin Friuli Grave ($16)
- 2004 Bollini Reserve Selection Friuli Grave ($18)
- 2005 Pighin Pinot Grigio Collio ($23)
- 2005 Mastroberardino Lacryma Christi del Vesusio Bianco ($19)
- 2005 Mastroberardi-no Sannio Falanghina ($19)
- 2005 Mastroberardino Radici Fiano di Avellino ($25)
- 2005 Mastroberardino NovaSerra Greco di Tufo ($24)
Rich Mauro is a Denver-based wine columnist. Reach him at 636-0194 or write to him at The Gazette, P.O. Box 1779, Colorado Springs 80901.
